--- name: performing-purple-team-exercise-459222ccf711 description: 'Performs purple team exercises by coordinating red team adversary emulation with blue team detection validation using MITRE ATT&CK-mapped attack scenarios, real-time detection testing, and collaborative gap remediation. Use when SOC teams need to validate detection capabilities, improve analyst skills, and close detection gaps through structured offensive-defensive collaboration. ' domain: cybersecurity subdomain: soc-operations tags: - soc - purple-team - red-team - blue-team - mitre-attack - adversary-emulation - detection-validation version: '1.0' author: mahipal license: Apache-2.0 d3fend_techniques: - File Metadata Consistency Validation - Application Protocol Command Analysis - Identifier Analysis - Content Format Conversion - Message Analysis nist_csf: - DE.CM-01 - DE.AE-02 - RS.MA-01 - DE.AE-06 mitre_attack: - T1078 - T1685.002 - T1685.005 - T1566 --- # Performing Purple Team Exercise ## When to Use Use this skill when: - SOC teams need to validate that detection rules actually fire for the threats they target - Red team assessments produced findings that need translation into detection improvements - New detection tools or SIEM migrations require validation of detection coverage - Analyst training requires hands-on experience with real attack techniques and SIEM responses - Quarterly or semi-annual detection validation cycles are scheduled **Do not use** for unannounced red team engagements — purple team exercises require explicit coordination between offensive and defensive teams with real-time collaboration. ## Prerequisites - Red team capability: internal team or contracted purple team operator - Attack simulation tools: Atomic Red Team, MITRE Caldera, or C2 framework (authorized) - SIEM access for real-time alert monitoring during exercise - ATT&CK-mapped detection rule inventory with expected alert names - Isolated test environment or approved production scope with change management approval - Communication channel (Slack/Teams) for real-time red-blue coordination ## Workflow ### Step 1: Define Exercise Scope and Objectives Document exercise parameters: ```yaml purple_team_exercise: exercise_id: PT-2024-Q1 date: 2024-03-20 duration: 8 hours (09:00-17:00 UTC) scope: environment: Production (Finance VLAN, 10.0.5.0/24) systems_in_scope: - WORKSTATION-TEST01 (10.0.5.100) — Test endpoint - DC-TEST (10.0.5.200) — Test domain controller - FILESERVER-TEST (10.0.5.201) — Test file server systems_excluded: - All production domain controllers - Customer-facing systems objectives: - Validate 15 detection rules mapped to FIN7 TTPs - Test SOC analyst response to real attack indicators - Identify detection gaps for credential access and lateral movement - Measure detection latency for each technique threat_scenario: FIN7 campaign targeting financial data via spearphishing authorization: Approved by CISO, Change Request CR-2024-0567 communication: #purple-team-2024q1 Slack channel ``` ### Step 2: Build ATT&CK-Mapped Test Plan Create technique-by-technique test matrix: | # | ATT&CK ID | Technique | Test Tool | Expected Detection | Blue Team Metric | |---|-----------|-----------|-----------|-------------------|------------------| | 1 | T1566.001 | Spearphishing Attachment | Manual email | Email gateway alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 2 | T1204.002 | User Execution | Macro document | Sysmon process creation | Detection Y/N, latency | | 3 | T1059.001 | PowerShell | Atomic RT #1-3 | PowerShell execution alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 4 | T1053.005 | Scheduled Task | Atomic RT | Scheduled task creation alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 5 | T1547.001 | Registry Run Keys | Atomic RT | Registry modification alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 6 | T1003.001 | LSASS Memory | Mimikatz | Credential dumping alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 7 | T1550.002 | Pass-the-Hash | Mimikatz | NTLM anomaly detection | Detection Y/N, latency | | 8 | T1021.002 | SMB/PsExec | PsExec | PsExec service creation alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 9 | T1047 | WMI | wmic /node | WMI remote execution alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 10| T1021.001 | RDP | xfreerdp | RDP lateral movement alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 11| T1071.001 | Web C2 | Cobalt Strike | C2 beacon detection | Detection Y/N, latency | | 12| T1041 | Exfiltration C2 | Rclone | Data exfiltration alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 13| T1490 | Inhibit Recovery | vssadmin | Shadow copy deletion alert | Detection Y/N, latency | | 14| T1486 | Data Encrypted | Test encryption | Mass encryption detection | Detection Y/N, latency | | 15| T1070.001 | Clear Logs | wevtutil | Log clearing detection | Detection Y/N, latency | ### Step 3: Execute Red Team Techniques Run each technique with Atomic Red Team (or manual execution): ```powershell # Install Atomic Red Team IEX (IWR 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/invoke-atomicredteam/master/install-atomicredteam.ps1' -UseBasicParsing) Install-AtomicRedTeam -getAtomics # Test 1: T1059.001 — PowerShell Execution Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'HH:mm:ss')] Executing T1059.001 - PowerShell" Invoke-AtomicTest T1059.001 -TestNumbers 1 # Notify blue team: "T1059.001 executed at $(Get-Date)" # Test 2: T1053.005 — Scheduled Task Creation Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'HH:mm:ss')] Executing T1053.005 - Scheduled Task" Invoke-AtomicTest T1053.005 -TestNumbers 1 # Test 3: T1547.001 — Registry Run Key Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'HH:mm:ss')] Executing T1547.001 - Registry Persistence" Invoke-AtomicTest T1547.001 -TestNumbers 1,2 # Test 4: T1003.001 — Credential Dumping Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'HH:mm:ss')] Executing T1003.001 - LSASS Access" Invoke-AtomicTest T1003.001 -TestNumbers 1,2 # Test 5: T1490 — Shadow Copy Deletion Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format 'HH:mm:ss')] Executing T1490 - Inhibit Recovery" Invoke-AtomicTest T1490 -TestNumbers 1 # Cleanup after each test Invoke-AtomicTest T1059.001 -TestNumbers 1 -Cleanup Invoke-AtomicTest T1053.005 -TestNumbers 1 -Cleanup Invoke-AtomicTest T1547.001 -TestNumbers 1,2 -Cleanup ``` ### Step 4: Monitor Blue Team Detection in Real-Time Blue team monitors SIEM during execution: ```spl --- Real-time purple team monitoring dashboard index=notable earliest=-1h | where Computer IN ("WORKSTATION-TEST01", "DC-TEST", "FILESERVER-TEST") OR src IN ("10.0.5.100", "10.0.5.200", "10.0.5.201") | eval detection_latency = _time - orig_time | eval latency_seconds = round(detection_latency, 0) | sort _time | table _time, rule_name, urgency, src, dest, user, latency_seconds --- Check specific technique detection index=sysmon Computer="WORKSTATION-TEST01" earliest=-15m (EventCode=1 OR EventCode=3 OR EventCode=10 OR EventCode=11 OR EventCode=13) | sort _time | table _time, EventCode, Image, CommandLine, TargetFilename, TargetObject ``` Record results in real-time: ```python exercise_results = { "exercise_id": "PT-2024-Q1", "results": [ { "technique": "T1059.001", "name": "PowerShell Execution", "execution_time": "09:15:00", "detected": True, "alert_name": "Suspicious PowerShell Encoded Command", "detection_time": "09:15:47", "latency_seconds": 47, "notes": "Detected via Sysmon EventCode 1 with encoded command pattern" }, { "technique": "T1003.001", "name": "LSASS Memory Access", "execution_time": "10:30:00", "detected": False, "alert_name": None, "detection_time": None, "latency_seconds": None, "notes": "GAP: No detection rule for LSASS access. Sysmon EventCode 10 present but no correlation rule." } ] } ``` ### Step 5: Collaborative Gap Remediation For each gap, the blue team builds detection rules immediately: ```spl --- Gap: T1003.001 — No LSASS access detection --- Build rule during exercise index=sysmon EventCode=10 TargetImage="*\\lsass.exe" GrantedAccess IN ("0x1010", "0x1038", "0x1fffff", "0x40") NOT SourceImage IN ("*\\svchost.exe", "*\\csrss.exe", "*\\MsMpEng.exe") | stats count by Computer, SourceImage, SourceUser, GrantedAccess | where count > 0 ``` After building, re-test: ``` Red Team: "Re-executing T1003.001 at 11:45" Blue Team: "Confirmed — alert 'LSASS Memory Access Detected' fired at 11:45:32 (32s latency)" Result: GAP CLOSED ``` ### Step 6: Generate Exercise Report ```python def generate_purple_team_report(results): total = len(results["results"]) detected = sum(1 for r in results["results"] if r["detected"]) gaps = sum(1 for r in results["results"] if not r["detected"]) avg_latency = sum(r["latency_seconds"] for r in results["results"] if r["latency_seconds"]) / max(detected, 1) report = f""" PURPLE TEAM EXERCISE REPORT — {results['exercise_id']} {'=' * 60} SUMMARY: Techniques Tested: {total} Detected: {detected} ({detected/total*100:.0f}%) Gaps Identified: {gaps} ({gaps/total*100:.0f}%) Avg Detection Latency: {avg_latency:.0f} seconds DETAILED RESULTS: """ for r in results["results"]: status = "DETECTED" if r["detected"] else "GAP" latency = f"{r['latency_seconds']}s" if r["latency_seconds"] else "N/A" report += f" [{status}] {r['technique']} — {r['name']} (Latency: {latency})\n" if not r["detected"]: report += f" Action: {r['notes']}\n" return report ``` ## Key Concepts | Term | Definition | |------|-----------| | **Purple Team** | Collaborative exercise where red (offensive) and blue (defensive) teams work together to validate and improve detection | | **Adversary Emulation** | Structured simulation of specific threat actor TTPs for testing defensive capabilities | | **Detection Validation** | Process of confirming that detection rules fire correctly when the targeted technique is executed | | **Detection Latency** | Time between technique execution and SIEM alert generation — measured during purple team exercises | | **Gap Remediation** | Immediate creation or tuning of detection rules for techniques that were not detected during testing | | **Atomic Red Team** | Open-source library of small, focused tests for individual ATT&CK techniques | ## Tools & Systems - **Atomic Red Team**: Open-source attack test library from Red Canary for technique-by-technique validation - **MITRE Caldera**: Automated adversary emulation platform supporting ATT&CK-mapped attack chains - **Vectr**: Purple team management platform for tracking exercise results and detection coverage improvements - **Prelude Operator**: Adversary emulation tool supporting automated multi-step attack scenarios - **AttackIQ**: Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) platform for continuous detection validation ## Common Scenarios - **Quarterly Validation**: Test top 20 detection rules against ATT&CK techniques to ensure continued effectiveness - **New Tool Validation**: After deploying new EDR, validate detection coverage against baseline techniques - **Analyst Training**: Junior analysts observe real attacks in real-time with expert guidance on SIEM investigation - **Post-Incident Validation**: After a real incident, emulate the attack chain to verify detection improvements - **Compliance Evidence**: Document detection validation results for SOC 2, ISO 27001, or PCI DSS audits ## Output Format ``` PURPLE TEAM EXERCISE REPORT — PT-2024-Q1 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Date: 2024-03-20 (09:00-17:00 UTC) Scenario: FIN7 Financial Sector Campaign Scope: Finance VLAN (10.0.5.0/24) RESULTS: Techniques Tested: 15 Detected: 11 (73%) Gaps Identified: 4 (27%) Gaps Remediated Same Day: 3 Avg Detection Latency: 38 seconds DETAILED RESULTS: [PASS] T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment — 12s latency [PASS] T1204.002 User Execution (Macro) — 8s latency [PASS] T1059.001 PowerShell Execution — 47s latency [PASS] T1053.005 Scheduled Task — 23s latency [PASS] T1547.001 Registry Run Keys — 31s latency [FAIL] T1003.001 LSASS Memory Access — REMEDIATED during exercise [FAIL] T1550.002 Pass-the-Hash — REMEDIATED during exercise [PASS] T1021.002 PsExec — 15s latency [PASS] T1047 WMI Remote Execution — 42s latency [PASS] T1021.001 RDP Lateral Movement — 28s latency [FAIL] T1071.001 Web C2 Beaconing — REMEDIATED during exercise [PASS] T1041 Exfiltration over C2 — 67s latency [PASS] T1490 Shadow Copy Deletion — 5s latency [FAIL] T1486 Data Encryption for Impact — OPEN — requires endpoint telemetry [PASS] T1070.001 Event Log Clearing — 11s latency POST-EXERCISE COVERAGE: 93% (14/15) — up from 73% at start REMAINING GAP: T1486 requires EDR file monitoring enhancement ``` --- Source attribution: 26zl Original project: https://github.com/26zl/cybersec-toolkit/blob/2ad2519d437cda1f8a822ef7adc336993601a5ac/.claude/skills/performing-purple-team-exercise/SKILL.md License: Apache-2.0 License information: https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub. ## Upstream license notice Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004 http://www.apache.org/licenses/ TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION 1. 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See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License. # Mega AI Hub resource metadata Creator / publisher: 26zl Original project: https://github.com/26zl/cybersec-toolkit/blob/2ad2519d437cda1f8a822ef7adc336993601a5ac/.claude/skills/performing-purple-team-exercise/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Source repository record Fields of work: Development & Engineering, Operations, Sales Roles: Business Development, Customer Success Manager, Operations Manager, Sales Development Rep (SDR), Security Engineer Specialties: Specialty not specified Tools: Microsoft Teams, Atomic Red Team, Mitre Caldera, Slack Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: e267d80e6c40a1a1a6577834f48122cc7bd96433aa2f4f553934eafbdb222cf8